We're trying something new this issue with the paper we use in our printing process. I'm kind of curious how it will turn out, actually. The idea is to use slightly better
paper for what's called the “wrap” - comprised of the printed copy's outermost sheet (Pages 1, 2, 11 and 12 this issue) and innermost sheet (Pages 5 through 8 this
time).
What we've been noticing at our printing company (Signature Offset, formerly Intermountain Color) is that despite the yoeman efforts of Pat and Mike, the printers
who work on our job every week, sometimes the paper itself betrays them. Let me back up for a second (assuming you're interested in all this). There are five basic
grades of paper. Until now, we've always used 30-pound newsprint, which is the least expensive grade. It's also the grade used to print most newspapers. Why so?
Well, because of publishing frequency and, let's face it, we newshounds are always sniffing around for ways to save a buck. Plus, Pat and Mike nearly always make it
look like a steal.
But evidently (one gradually learns these things from doing weekly press checks for 6 1/2 years), there is newsprint and then there is newsprint. All of it comes from
Canada, but there must be some parts where the water, wood and chemicals don't mix as well, eh, because now and then we get issues like last week's, where
outside corners on some of the printed copies curled up and the graphics here and there lost a tad of sharpness.
So to make a long story a little longer, we decided to move up a grade, as described in the first paragraph, using paper called 35-pound hibrite. It costs a little more,
but we're starting a fundraising campaign to make up the difference. That's an April Fool's joke, by the way. We just want to put out a quality paper, and that applies
to the news we print as well as what we print it on.